Roberto Luongo #1 of the Vancouver Canucks stands in the goal after giving up a goal to the Dallas Stars in the first period at American Airlines Center on December 19, 2013 in Dallas, Texas.Ronald Martinez
/ Getty Images

Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo keeps his eyes trained on a rebound after a shot from the Dallas Stars.Tony Gutierrez
/ AP

Dallas Stars' Erik Cole (72) prepares to take a shot coming around the net against Vancouver Canucks' Eddie Lack (31) during the third period.Tony Gutierrez
/ AP

Alex Chiasson of the Dallas Stars scoops the puck away from a falling Brad Richardson of the Vancouver Canucks during Thursday's NHL action in Dallas. The Canucks were torched for two early goals at American Airlines Center and could never catch up to the Stars. The Canucks conclude their three-game road trip tonight in Chicago. Vancouver is winless so far, having lost 3-2 to Minnesota on Tuesday.Ronald Martinez, Getty Images
/ Vancouver Sun

Dallas centre Colton Sceviour celebrates his first-period goal against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. The Stars scored two goals 15 seconds apart in the first period and never trailed.Tony Gutierrez, The Associated Press
/ Vancouver Sun

Defenceman Andrew Alberts of the Vancouver Canucks stickhandles past Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks during NHL pre-season action in San Jose, Calif. Alberts is expected to play Thursday in Dallas against the Stars.Marcio Jose Sanchez
/ The Associated Press Files

Vancouver Canucks' Jannik Hansen and goalie Roberto Luongo sit on the bench early in the third period of an NHL game against the Dallas Stars, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013, in Dallas. Luongo was pulled early in the third after giving up a fourth goal to the Stars and replaced by Eddie Lack in the 4-1 Stars win.Tony Gutierrez
/ AP

DALLAS — This shot came from the left faceoff circle, not the right, but the result was the same for Roberto Luongo and the Vancouver Canucks.

A soft goal at a most inopportune time.

For the second consecutive National Hockey League game, Luongo met the media and more or less said, this one’s on me.

Trailing 2-1 late in the second period, but carrying the play, the Canucks looked like they were going to make a game of it with the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

But when Erik Cole’s soft wrist shot trickled through Luongo’s legs, the life was pretty much sucked out of the Canucks, who fell 4-1 to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

“That third goal I gave up there was a back-breaker for our guys,” a solemn Luongo said. “It was a wrister, I stopped it with my glove and it kind of just fell down and I think it might have fallen between my legs or something and it just trickled in. Whatever it is, it’s an inexcusable goal at that point of the game.”

Two nights earlier, Luongo was saying much the same thing about Charlie Coyle’s goal from the right circle that also went through his legs, forced overtime, and allowed the Minnesota Wild to beat the Canucks 3-2 in a shootout.

Coach John Tortorella noted, quite correctly, that Luongo was not entirely to blame for Thursday’s defeat. The Canucks, after all, started poorly and gave up a pair of goals 15 seconds apart early in the first period to dig themselves a huge hole.

“That hurt,” Tortorella said of Cole’s goal. “But a number of other things happened in the game.”

That seven-game winning streak the Canucks had in their back pockets when they began this trip is quickly fading to a distant memory.

But Tortorella wasn’t about to rip his team, noting that Thursday’s game was the first one in a long while in which the Canucks had failed to earn at least a point. He also said he’s not overly concerned about Luongo, although it seems a safe bet that Eddie Lack will play Friday night when the Canucks complete their three-game trip at the Madhouse on Madison in Chicago.

Lack replaced Luongo at 2:23 of the third period after Valeri Nichushkin made it 4-1.

“We have to get him (Luongo) off the hook a little bit, too, in capitalizing,” Tortorella said. “So it’s not just one guy here. It’s our first game we haven’t got a point in I think nine or 10 games (actually, nine) games. We need to move by it and not over-think this and get ready to play our next game.”

The Canucks had plenty of chances to tie the game in the second period before Cole’s goal. When Dallas centre Shawn Horcoff was sent off for boarding at 13:43 of the second, the Canuck power play had the puck in the Dallas zone for ages and had a number of good looks.

But they could not beat Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen, who is the big reason the Stars have swept the two-game season series against the Canucks. Early in the second, Lehtonen absolutely robbed Jannik Hansen at the edge of the crease.

“Lehtonen made some big saves at key times,” Tortorella said. “We have seen that before against him. We couldn’t score, the third one hurt us a bit. But we have some power plays to get us back in and we don’t get it done.”

“The difference was our power play couldn’t score,” added captain Henrik Sedin. “It has been scoring lately, but tonight we needed a goal from our power play to get back in the game.

“Especially the one power play where we were in their end for a minute-and-a-half and we had some good shots and some good looks. Right there the game can turn around and we are right back in it. But they killed it off and all of a sudden the game was over.”

It looked like the game was over before it was five minutes old. The Stars buzzed the Canucks in the opening minutes and those two quick goals from Jamie Benn and Colton Sceviour had Vancouver reeling.

“On the road being down 2-0 right away is tough,” said Daniel Sedin. “But I thought we came back and we could have tied it up in the second period. Our power play didn’t score and they got the 3-1 goal there. That is tough. I think the difference is the power play. We had a few good looks and we couldn’t score.”

Now it’s on to Chicago, where the well-rested Blackhawks await the Canucks, who will be playing their third game in four nights.

Defenceman Dan Hamhuis said it’s imperative that the Canucks get a result at the United Center.

“We need to,” Hamhuis said. “An 0-2-1 trip is no good. With the playoff race as it is right now, we need tomorrow’s game. Chicago is up there in the standings, but those points are huge for us.”

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Share

Canucks suffer second straight loss in fall to the Stars

Video

Sports Highlights

Best of Postmedia

“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, ‘Come and see.’ And I saw, and behold a white elephant, and he that sat upon him had a crown, which he wore atop his fiery hair, and […]

Millennials, amirite? They’re nothing but Instagram-happy, emoji-LOL-ing, mannequin-challenging navelgazers. Or so the theory goes. How can they put their pants on one leg at a time, like everyone else, when they’re sausaged into skinny jeans? Yet when it comes to […]

An Ottawa judge has thrown out a romance fraud case that has taken more than four years to go to trial, ruling that the excessive delay has robbed the accused man of his right to a fair trial. Ontario Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips on Friday stayed the case against Kevin Bishop of Ottawa, who had […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.